Should preparations for children making their First Holy Communion, Confirmation and their First Confession happen during school times?

Teachers certainly don’t seem to think so, as a recent Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) survey found that 57% of primary school educators believe schools shouldn’t be responsible for the preparation of these ceremonies.

Catholic school teacher and INTO member Anna Hurley told Lunchtime Live that the preference would be for families to collaborate with the local parish to lead children through religious rites.

“This has been happening throughout the country for a number of years,” she said.

“There have been pilot programmes such as the ‘Do This in Memory' programme, where the parish has had a great responsibility for preparing children in collaboration with families.

“I know last week even I read about a fantastic initiative in County Mayo, where 62 parishioners were commissioned as Catholic Church lay-leaders, so they spent two years studying for a certificate.

“That, I feel, is the kind of initiative that would really help the Catholic Church build a strong support network.”

First holy communion.

About 88% of primary schools across Ireland are under Catholic patronage.

However, Ms Hurley said that preparations for religious ceremonies are “taking way too much time that would be far better spent, in my opinion, on a broader education”.

“Look, as many if the listeners will be acutely aware, we’re already reaching teacher burnout,” she said.

“We have curriculum overload and initiative overload.

“There’s 11 subjects already, adding in sacramental preparation on top of that, it’s just unsustainable.”

According to Ms Hurley, the “finer points” of alternative arrangements would need to be “ironed out”.

Main image: Catholic First Holy Communion ceremony.